Gotta Defend Them All!
by ChloboShoka
Summary: Sequal to May's Justice. May represents Phoenix Wright's filthy rich cousin in court when he sues Briar Realty Corporation for selling him a haunted mansion. The spirits of the mansion are not yet at peace. A friend of May gets brutally murdered, and it's up to her to uncover the truth.
1. Regrets

This is a crossover between Ace Attorney, Pokémon and the visual novel, The Letter by Yangyang mobile. Unlike in May's Justice, where I put lots of fandoms in, I'm just going to limit it to just three. This fanfic takes place a year after the events of May's Justice, but this can be enjoyed as a stand-alone fic as well.

* * *

 **Gotta Defend Them All**

May Maple: former pokémon coordinator, a single mother, married woman, lawyer, and Queen Consort of Hell. She knew on the day that she met Ash Ketchum, that her life would be changed forever, but she never expected her life to take such a dark turn. When she got Ash an acquittal, the last thing she expected was for him to rule over an army of demons.

It's been a year since May put on her lawyer pin for the first time. She never forgot the first time it shimmered like gold. It started to lose it's shine from the tear and wear, just like her. She sat in the corner of her bed and rocked the cradle. Her twins, Ruby and Sapphire slept better than she did. She'd love to show them to Ash, but she knew that Hell was no place to bring babies.

She knew it was one of Ash's many regrets.

May forced herself to smile in the mirror. She had been through some messed up stuff, but she had a feeling that the horror in her life was far from over. She laid back on her bed and rolled around the mattress. She tossed. She turned. She couldn't get comfortable.

Her children were beautiful. Her friends were amazing. Her colleagues felt like family. Her family couldn't have shown her any more kindness. Her salary was exceptional for a lady only twenty-two years old, but nothing could shake the fact that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown.

She wasn't sure if she was in a fit enough state for the trial tomorrow. Her client was the former businessman, Luke Wright. He was also a multi-millionaire. He was Phoenix Wright's cousin, but Luke and Phoenix hardly spoke unless Luke needed somebody to get him out of legal issues. She was dreading the trial. Luke was one of the sleaziest slime balls she had ever met. May kept her disgusting thoughts of her client to herself. He was still her manager's cousin after all, and the last thing she needed was unemployment.

Luke was the complete opposite of Phoenix. Where Phoenix was kind and giving, Luke was a selfish womaniser and serial drinker. May knew about the times when Phoenix had been framed for murder, whilst Luke looked like someone who committed countless crimes but was able to walk away from punishment. Money talked. Still, she took the case. Something about the case was nothing like any of the cases she's worked on.

Luke Wright was suing Briar Realty Corporation for selling him a haunted mansion. Athena flat out said she didn't want it, and Phoenix claimed that defending his cousin would create a conflict of interest. Which basically meant that he didn't want to represent Luke either.

So May took the case and began to regret it seconds after taking it. But she couldn't turn her back on Luke. She could have said no. She should have said no. But there was something about the case that pipped her interest. She had heard about the gory tales of Ermengard mansion and the legendary tale of the Anslem Butcher. She wondered if Ash knew anything about it.


	2. Luke Wright Vs Briar Realty Corporation

For a second, May thought that she entered the wrong room. Her client, Luke Wright sitting in the lobby drinking from a green bottle. He looked like a superstar in his flashy white suit and purple tie. His face told another story: one of fear. A pale face and red eyes as if he had just seen a ghost. He was trying, May could see that. Whatever was in that bottle was a clutch, an antidepressant, something to help him deal with the pain.

His ex-wife, Hannah Evans, along with her partner, Marianne McCollough stood besides him. Hannah, the blonde bombshell, clenched her fists as she fought back tears. Marianne was a famous interior designer back in her home country of Ireland, whilst Hannah was an heiress with a master's degree in business. May followed them both on Twitter. She often saw them in the Starbucks by her workplace: they were regular customers there.

They were talking about the events that occurred before the divorce. The purchase of the mansion was meant to be the place where Hannah and Luke raised their family, now they lived apart. The disastrous house warming party hit headlines all over the local newspapers where another woman stepped forward and claimed that she was carrying Luke's child. DNA tests were done, and he wasn't the father.

The celebrity gossip didn't interest May that much. But her ears opened at the mention of ghosts and brutal murders.

"We should never have brought that house," Luke said, taking another sip. "I wouldn't have been haunted by that putrid spirit. Even though she's gone, I still see her at night. Those white eyes sucking out my soul. Her blood-dripped smile as she attacks."

"Oh Luke," Hannah sobbed. "Please stop drinking. Your cousin will be here soon."

"Doubt it," Luke scoffed, placing the bottle back in his coat pocket. "He's too busy chasing that Edgeworth bloke. He'll being on his servants in."

"You gobshite!" Marianne howled. May liked her hair, especially it's colour: reminded her of Ash. "Give me that bottle before you humiliate yourself further." Marianne snatched the bottle from Luke's pocket and locked it in her handbag.

"I wouldn't consider myself a servant," May interrupted, getting that feeling that she wasn't even noticed when she came into the room.

"Hello May!" Hannah said, changing her tone to a more pleasant and welcoming tone. "Isn't Phoenix coming today?"

"He couldn't make it," May lied. "So he sent me instead."

"I knew it," Luke called out. "He's gone after Edgeworth again."

"Luke, do keep it down," Hannah requested. "I don't even see the point of suing them."

"Because they took millions of me," Luke cried out. "They destroyed our marriage and my life!"

"Our marriage was on the rocks for ages," Hannah said, with a sigh. She lowered her head. "Besides, you've got Becca now. I've got Marianne. We've got our two gorgeous twins and Kylie still loves you."

Luke pursed his lips.

"A bit of peace of quiet is just what we need right now," Marianne said.

It was clear to May that Hannah still held some sort of affection for the man. Their messy divorce was all over the papers. The two entrepreneurs were always considered a perfect Hollywood couple. Just goes to show that nothing was a bed of roses. She felt it was a damn shame that things didn't work out for them. She used to follow Hannah Wright's blogs, and found them all inspirational. Her pictures of food, stylish selfies and work posts helped May through law school. Now, didn't seem to be the appropriate time to give her kudos.

The two women now dating, was something strange for May to take in. She kept wanting to address Hannah as Mrs. Wright instead of Miss Evans. She still had her wedding ring on. So many questions May wanted to ask, but it wasn't the right time to ask them. May knew that she would have to wait until after the trial.

"Are you ready?" May asked Luke. "The trial's about to start soon."

"I guess so." It was a very weak yes.

"Let's go then," May said.

"You don't think I've got a chance with this have you?" Luke asked. "You came out of pity."

May shook her head. "Mr. Wright... I came to do my job and seek the truth."

"Hah! Are those the words that my cousin has been teaching you to say?"

"Please don't be rude," Hannah said, patting Luke's back. "This is the first case that May's had that doesn't involve murder."

Everyone made their way into the lobby. The courtroom was small, compared to the other rooms that May had attended. Then again, it wasn't a homicide case. The courtroom was almost empty. There was Hannah and Marianne sitting behind Luke. Then opposite them, there was a young lady and a man in a business suit. They must have been the guys from Briar Realty. May's eyes steered towards the young man sitting alone in the back of the room on his phone as if he was playing a game.

The lady in front was also on her phone, but only made a few quick messages before turning it off, and putting it back in her pocket. Just in time before the presiding judge entered the courtroom. May watched the young man and woman look up at each other and exchange smiles.

"Order! All rise!" cried the bailiff. May observed the shocked faces on everyone's face when they realised the presiding judge was a young woman. Judge Juniper Woods was a friend of Athena Cykes. She thought the name sounded familiar. The bailiff passed the court files in Judge Juniper's hands. "Case 369 on the matter of Wright Vs Realty Briar Corp. Parties have been sworn in, you may be seated."

"Do I have a Mr. Luke Wright?"

"Yes," he said, raising his hand.

"And you're suing Briar Realty Corporation for selling a haunted house to you, is that correct?"

"That's right."

"And you're being represented by Miss May Maple, is that correct?"

May nodded. "Yes, Your Honour."

"And the property in question is Ermengarde Mansion in Anslem. Is that correct?"

"Yes," Luke said.

"And do we have Isabella Santos?"

The young woman stood up. "Yes."

"And this man is your former employer, Mr. Brian Briar, is that correct."

"Correct, Your Honour," Briar said, gulping.

"What do you do Miss Santos?"

"I'm an artist."

"Wonderful," Judge Juniper said. "Now going back to your claim, Mr Wright. I don't know if I can continue your claim because it was in fact your ex-wife that bought the house."

"Your Honour," May interrupted, "if I may say something. Weather it was Miss Evans or Mr Wright who bought the house is irrelevant. They were both married at the time and the money was taken from their joint account. Also, if you look in contract, it has both Miss Evans and my client's name."

Judge Juniper stopped and peered over the contract that May was referring to. "You're absolutely right, Miss Maple. We've now established that your client did indeed buy the house and we can continue with your claim. Now Mr. Briar, you are counterclaiming for damage to the property worth $5 million dollars. Can you show me evidence of this?"

Briar presented a collection of regal rooms. He gasped as he he scurried through the photos. "This isn't right. They were covered in blood. There were broken vases on the floor."

"May I see these photos?" May asked.

"And me as well," said Judge Juniper.

The bailiff took the photos from Briar and handed them around the court. "Mr Briar, the courtroom is not an appropriate place to play pranks on people. Do you understand?"

"Yes."

"Looking at these pictures, I see no damage to the property. Even if the walls were smothering in faeces, I'd still dismiss your counterclaim. Whilst it may be back on the market, it is still the plaintiff's property. So I can say that straight away that your counterclaim is dismissed. Now let's put an end to this haunted mansion silliness."

"Hold it!" May cried out. She was about to dismiss the case. May ignored her internal stomach churns. She wanted the trial to be over as soon as possible. Last night, she wished she never took the case. But there were so much to the case that hasn't been brought to the court. But she knew she had to win for the sake of Luke's sanity.

She believed in him. The spirits were real. The curse was real. The monsters existed. May, being lady of the underworld , knew that better than anyone else. May looked over to the opposite side of the table and saw Isabella's eyes drenched in tears.

"Miss Maple..." Judge Juniper's voice softened.

"It's too early to end this trial," May announced. "We still have so much to discuss."

"There's nothing to discuss," Judge Juniper responded, grabbing her gavel. "This case has come to an end."

"What about the bodies?"

"What bodies?"

"I'm sure you know about the case of then Anslem Butcher?" May asked. "It's been going around for centuries."

"His victims are brutally murdered and HELP ME is written in blood all over walls." Judge Juniper flustered. "What does he have to do with this?"

"What if the Anslem Butcher was at the mansion. Causing all the trouble. I think some of the parties present have already witnessed his terror. They might have even met the butcher, himself."

"It was a ghost," Isabella sobbed. "She killed Rose."

"Who's Rose?" Judge Juniper asked.

"Rose Cooper," May responded. "One of the latest victims. She worked for Mr Briar's firm."

"And she was also present during the open house day," Isabella added, wiping her eyes. "I don't know why she killed her. I was the one who found the letter."

"Her? The letter?" Judge Juniper asked.

"Is this the letter you were referring to earlier?" May asked Luke.

"Yes it is."

"Where is this letter?" Judge Juniper asked. "I want to see it."

"I burnt it," was Luke's cold reply.

"Well that was a foolish thing to do," Judge Juniper said.

"It really wasn't," Marianne cried out. "If it wasn't for that letter none of this would have happened. There were children who were killed. Burning that letter killed the curse."

"Now I'm getting really confused," Judge Juniper confessed, rubbing her forehead. "Miss Santos, please tell me what this butcher looked like."

"Female...rotten flesh. Flesh and bone exposed. Always limping. Putrid breath."

"I sympathise with you," May said. "But still, you and your friends had no right to break into my client's home."

"And why have you not report them to the police?" Judge Judy asked Luke.

"Because they left," Luke responded. "I gave them a fair warning."

"Dosen't help that you had us at gunpoint," Marianne whispered.

"What was that?" Judge Judy asked. "You had them at gunpoint?"

"They were invading my property."

"Mr. Wright... if you find out that somebody has broken into your property, you call the police. Now Mr. Wright, tell me why didn't you call the police?"

"Because my client is a kind and warm-hearted individual," May said.

Judge Juniper looked over at the plaintiff. "Mr Wright have you been drinking?"

"No," Luke slurred as he collapsed into his chair.

"Luke!" Hannah called. "Are you all right?"

Judge Juniper banged her gavel before any commotion started. "I would like you to stand up again, please, Mr Wright."

Luke did as he was told, holding onto the edge of the table as support.

"Your Honour," May said. "My client is unwell. Please let him sit."

Judge Juniper nodded with reluctance. "Then he may sit."

Judge Juniper requested both parties to describe how the sale of the house went on. Briar defended him and his company and said that the couple were eager to buy the house as soon as possible, hiring Marianne to do the interior design before they had even bought the house. So far so good, May thought – nobody was telling lies yet.

Luke testified that Hannah had bought the house as a gift for him and their future children. That the house had an open day, but Hannah was already ready to buy the house. The deal had been sealed. Judge Juniper went on to ask Briar about the mansion again.

"Did you investigate the rumours before taking on the house?"

Briar nodded. "The curse was just a simple hoax."

"If that's true," May said. "Why did you push Miss Santos into the case."

"She chose to."

"No, you knew about her situation, and you exploited it," May snapped. "If you were really a good company. I don't believe you investigated the house at all. You just used the ghost tale as a way to make money."

"What situation?" Judge Juniper asked.

"My father had cancer," Isabella replied. "He passed away..."

"I'm sorry for your loss," Judge Juniper announced. "Miss Santos, what were your first impression of Ermengarde Mansion. And you must be honest with me."

"Just thinking about the place gives me the creeps."

"And you were the one who found the letter?" Judge Juniper asked.

Isabella nodded. "In the attic."

"I think it's clear that my client was mis-sold the mansion," May said. "He was not informed about the legend and history behind the mansion. He should have been made aware of it before making a purchase."

"But they were eager to buy it," Briar explained.

"That's not an excuse," Judge Juniper agreed with May. "Their initial enthusiasm towards the property should have given you even more of a reason to tell them the tales about the property."

"I'm glad you agree with me," May said, lifting her chin. "This whole case has brought nothing but distress for client. His marriage broke down. His businesses have have declined. It's pretty clear that he's a broken man. His mental health is virtually non-existent. He'll have a lot to pay for medical bills."

"He's got plenty of money," Briar said. "Bills won't be a problem."

"It's still money he's entitled for."

Judge Juniper brought an end to it with her gavel. "Judgement for the plaintiff for the amount of four million dollars."

As the trial was about to end, a black figure emerged behind Judge Juniper's face. One that matched Isabella's description.


	3. Here Comes The Queen

May called into Hell after work. Ever since Ash took over and became the champion, he had turned the place around. May couldn't even tell the different between Hell and Earth anymore. The demons who resided in Hell bowed and waved to her. She was treated like royalty. She was royalty. But when May looked at herself in the mirror every morning, she did not see herself as queen, she saw herself: only herself.

Until that morning when a dark shadow began to fade in and out of the mirror. The lights flickered. May looked above, turned behind her – she found nothing. Back in the mirror, she saw a man zoom towards the mirror's glass, blocking May's reflection.

It was Ash.

As requested, she called into Ash's palace where demons bowed before her knees. It didn't feel right to her. She was just a lawyer as far as she was concerned. The Ash sitting on the iron throne was different to the Ash she first met. At times, she wished she could just have the old Ash back. Although Ash insisted that it was only the environment had changed, May felt as if he was a different person all together.

However, when his arms wrap around her back, she couldn't help but sink into his chest. He was still the love of his life. He was still the father of his children. He was still the reason she was a lawyer. Those things would never change.

"May... I'm glad you've come. I didn't think you would come so early."

"I said I would be back after work."

"I'm just so used to you staying behind. So...how are you?"

May sat down on the steps. "Exhausted."

"What happened?"

"I was representing a former businessman in court today," May explained. "He was suing BRC for selling him a haunted house."

"That must have made a change for you."

May looked down, curling into a ball. "I won the case for him."

Ash sat next to her. "Then why do you feel sad about it?"

"I saw somebody by Judge Juniper afterwords..."

Ash gasped. "What was it?"

"Some black ghostly figure. I think it was the ghost that haunted that mansion."

"Was it Ermengarde Mansion?"

May nodded. "Do you know her?"

Ash smiled. "I know her. She's one of the friends I've made down here. Her name's Takako," Ash said. "Everyone down here calls her Cuddles..."

"Why is she called cuddles?"

"She gives nice hugs..."

"Really?"

"Well, she likes a wild animal. Likes to eat things alive. But... if you knew the kind of life she had before she died, then you would understand."

May folded her arms. Her eyes daggered at him. "She's not a mistress of yours is it?"

"Of course not."

"Thank god for that," May sighed. "I would flip if I found out you were cheating on me after everything I did for your freedom."

Ash kissed her cheek. "You don't have to worry about that. You can trust me. You're my Queen after all. We all love you here."

She appreciated the fact he still loved her, but she didn't feel safe in his arms anymore. She had everything that she wanted, but she still couldn't say that she was happy. "I'm not qualified to be the queen here."

"Of course you are," Ash hissed. He cupped her cheek. "You just need to be more confident in yourself. You believe in your clients, and yet, you don't believe in yourself very much."

"That's a good point."

"Just because this is Hell, doesn't mean that people should suffer in it."

"No wonder the demons seem happy. How long do you think it will last?"

"As long as it will last," Ash replied, smirking. "Hell needed to get with the times, so I modernised it. It's a perfect place for people to train. The wild pokémon are tough, and there's a lot of pokémon that are vengeful spirits. It will take a while before I get any challengers."

"Are you still training?"

"I train day and night," Ash admitted. "I trust my minions to do my royal duties for me. At any time, the gods from the heavens might call me."

"What for?"

"I'm the pokémon champion of Hell," Ash explained. "So it's my duty to punish bad trainers. Hades didn't do a very good job of it."

"And if a demon or ghost attacks something, you can stop it right?"

"You can too."

"That's good to know. At least there's one good thing about being the queen here. I must get going. I have to meet Trucy soon."

"When have you got to meet her?"

"Five."

Ash looked at his watch. "It's only three. Why don't you stay with me a bit longer. We can have some fun."

"Wait...where's Pikachu?"

"He's sleeping."

May stood up and made her way to the door. As soon as Ash opened his mouth, she froze on the spot. Ash's lips curled harder. He swayed his hips towards her and carried her into his bed. May felt she was on a serenade to some eternal bliss. Her teenager self would love it, being swept away and seduced by some sexy demon. But May was an adult, and sometimes she forgot that.

The clothes came off, and the action started.


	4. Turnabout Party

Brock almost didn't make it down the aisle. As soon as May bounced back from maternity leave, she got a call from Brock saying that he had been wrongfully accused of rape and needed help getting am acquittal so he could get married. May believed in his innocence despite Franziska von Karma's solid evidence against him.

The victim in question was Helga Schröcken, a daughter of two gay couple. She and Brock went together on a romantic cruise, then both returned alone. Helga claimed that she was gagged, so she was unable to give consent. Brock said that she gave 100% consent, was drunk and it was beautiful.

There were a few things that May didn't understand? Why did Helga wait five years to file the case against him? Why did Brock need to say she was drunk? There was still a part of May that wondered if Brock was guilty, but she wanted to believe in him so much, that she persevered and managed to get his name cleared.

Franziska hasn't spoken to her ever since Brock's trial. Her Aunt Maya seemed to be busy.

It was a miracle that Brock was getting married. He was a great friend: always looked after her when May needed it. Plus, he was a perfect shopping buddy. He also had a one-track-mind, so the moment a female bachelor caught his eye, his heart skipped a beat and he turned into a different person altogether. With supervision, he is an easy getaway. But without anyone around to discipline him in his pervy moods, things could turn pretty ugly, like the time when his over-the-top flirting caused one of her clients to get framed for murder. The client also turned out to be dating Ash's cousin.

Not many people knew Brock as a drinker. He promised May that after Ash was arrested, that he would never touch alcohol again. This, of course, was a lie. Brock Harrison was drunk: pissed as a fart. His poor new wife, Lucy was oblivious to all the flirting towards the other women. May loved Brock, though he was a great friend, his obsession with women was enough to make her eyes roll.

May followed Brock outside a parking lot. May hid behind the bins, pretending to be on her phone as she spied on him. She never got the chance to speak to him properly at the wedding party. Just a simple thank you for coming and a kiss on the cheek. Watching him try and get his hands into Hannah Wright's dress made her grit her teeth. One one hand she can see Brock doing this. Still, a part of May wished that Brock was not a sexual deviant.

"Brock," Hannah sobbed. "Please don't do this. You've only just been married."

"Oh but it's a free world, baby!"

"I just can't accept your offer."

"You can't knock it until you try it. And why don't you give me a kiss."

"No!"

"Not even an incy wincy one?"

"Brock...I can't."

"Get your filthy hands off her."

"What's it to do with you?" Brock roared. "You're not even married to her anymore."

"A bit rich coming from a man who's JUST GOT MARRIED."

"At least I'm not a mass-murderer."

"Still a million times better than being a paedophile!"

Brock chuckled, crushing his bottle until the glass. "Go home, Luke: you're drunk!"

Luke's eyes daggered at Brock as he hissed, "I know what you've been doing to my god-daughter."

"I didn't know you had a god-daughter. Lucy is the only woman for me!"

"Kylie Suarez?"

"Never heard of her."

"Oh!" Luke pointed the gun at Brock's face. "Looks like the black sheep is telling us a white lie! Give me your phone."

"My phone?" Brock lifts his hands above his head. "What do you want my phone for."

"You have pictures!"

"She's lying!"

"She'd never lie to me," Luke's fingers curl around the trigger. If he pushed any harder, it would seal Brock's doom. "She told me everything. You and Kylie have been talking for years. You groomed her."

Marianne stormed towards the middle of the car park where the two men exchanged glares. Each of them now with a gun in their hands. "What the hell are you doing?" she yelled, marching straight pass May.

Hannah cried out. "Marianne!"

"Go!" Luke hissed. "I'll sort this rascal out."

"Put your gun away," Marianne ordered Luke. "You could have shot Hannah, you idiot."

Luke placed the gun back in his pocket with great reluctance. He pointed at Brock. "This isn't the end you know? If I find out you've been trying to contact Kylie again. I promise you, you'll never see the light of day again!"

Luke stormed off into his car and drove off. Brock threw himself on the floor with both hands around his heart. He panted. "Oh Marianne, thank you so much."

"Piss off ya swine!" Marianne hissed and kicked him in the stomach. "Come on Hannah, let's go!"

May wanted to scurry to Brock and help him out, but she didn't want to get involved in the fight anymore. Even though it appeared to have ended, she didn't know when it would start again. She went down the stairs and made her way back home. Her parents, Norman and Caroline were babysitting, so she hoped that they were all getting on okay. She's sure they'll be fine. Norman was great with kids.

"I'm home!"

"Hush," Caroline whispered. "The girls are asleep."

"Sorry." May tiptoed into the room and sat on the coach. "How's your night been?"

"It's been okay," Caroline admitted with a smile on her face. "Ruby's really found her voice. Sapphire just wants to sleep all day."

"I'd like to sleep all day," Norman said with a yawn. "How was the wedding?"

"It went fine." May decided not to tell them about what she saw in the car park. Knowing Brock, he'll get right up and act as if nothing had ever happened.

"Was Maya there, she was friends with Brock before the trial?"

May shook her head. "I didn't see Maya. Aunt Maya and her girlfriend have been ignoring me ever since the trial. I just don't know what I've done wrong."

"Don't worry about them," Norman said, patting her back. "That's their problem. The Feys and von Karmas have always been sore losers."

"I know she's your only link to your real mother," Caroline said, holding May's hand. "But... you've got us. You've always had us. You may have been adopted, but we still love you. You'll always be our daughter, and nothing will change that."

"I'm sure they'll come and see you again," Norman said. "Any news on Ash? I haven't seen him or heard from since Alola. Has he even seen the kids? I don't recall seeing him at the christening."

"He's around," May lied. "He comes and goes when it suits him."

Norman sighed. "How disappointing..."

"It's all a part of his quest to become a pokémon master," May insisted.

"There are some things that are more important," Norman declared. "Like family. We all worked hard to get where we are. We spent thousands to get you in law school. It took you years to get him out of jail...and this is how he repays you. I'll be having words with him, the next time I see him."

"Dad...please don't do that – he's been having a rough time."

"With that?"

"He hasn't told me," May lied. How could she tell her parents that she married Ash in Hell and that made her the queen of darkness?

"Let's not argue," Caroline told Norman. "Let's go to bed, It's been a long night for all of us."

May was the first to wake up to the news. A man was found dead on the street. Seven suspects had been arrested, one of them was his cousin. It was only when May lifted her head up towards the telly that she recognized some of the faces shown.

" **Brock Harrison was found dead outside Pewter City Gym this morning. Isabella Frey, Hannah Evans, Zachary Steele, Marianne McCollough, Rebecca Gales, Ashton Frey and Luke Wright have been arrested in connection with the murder."**

The phone rang. May only picked it up because it was Trucy ringing. May couldn't stop panting.

"Hi Trucy..."

"May! Have you seen the news."

"Yeah," May smiled, trying her best to stay optimistic on the outside, though deep down it was killing her inside. "I've just seen it."

"Dad said you can have the day off if you want."

"No, it's fine. I'll come. It's the least I can do. It's my fault he's dead."

"Don't say that!" Trucy begged. "How can it be your fault."

"I saw him having a fight. I should have gone in and saved him. He'd still be here."

"You weren't to know that he'd be killed. But it's okay, they've arrested a bunch of suspects."

"It's not any of them!" May shouted.

"How can you be so sure?"

"I just know. I'll be at the office as soon as I can. I gotta defend them all!"

May ended the call with a concerned Trucy on the other end. Just as she was about to put her phone away, the phone rang again. It was an unknown number.

"Hello."

"Hey May!"

"A-Ash!"

"I just called to let you know that Brock's okay. He's with me."

"He's with you?"

"Yeah. He's going to be one of my advisors. Well, it makes sense. He helped me a lot when I was on earth. So he'd be the best person to become my trusted advisor in Hell. Anyway, you better make sure that the guy who did this doesn't get away with it. Okay, I'll talk to you later."


	5. Weeping Bride

**Chapter 5: Weeping Bride**

"Could the day get any worse?" May asked herself, with a large cup of black coffee in her hand. She called into the detention centre to see if any of the suspects were free to chat. The only one free at the moment was Isabella Frey, so she started with her. She remembered her from the last trial, shaken up and traumatised over some letter.

May gasped at the sight of her. Isabella curled in a ball...in a wedding dress.

"Good morning, Mrs Frey."

"Oh, good morning, Miss Maple."

"You're in your..."

"Yeah," Isabella said with a high. "We got arrested after the wedding."

"That's...awful." There was no other words for it. Isabella's pale complexion and puffy eyes told a tale of lost hope. She should have been enjoying her honeymoon, not trapped in a padded cell. People like Isabella were the reason why May chose to keep her job. Not only was she arrested at her own wedding, but so were her friends and her husband.

"I guess it makes sense," Isabella whispered, wiping her eyes away. "It makes sense that they think it was me. But now all my friends all my friends are in trouble."

"Why would they think it was you?"

"Because I reported Brock to the police."

"Why did you report him to the police?"

"He did something to me. I can't say it." She looked away from May. "You won't believe me, you're his friend."

The room turned black. All May could see was Isabella covered in chains. Red chests scattered around the room. May gasped, only May could see the locks, and she had seen them many times before. But it didn't make the psyche locks any less scary. May clenched her fists. She wanted to get to the bottom of this so badly, that she knew she wouldn't get a single wink of sleep.

"You have to tell me, Isabella."

"What's the point? You won't believe me?"

"If you won't tell me, I'll have to guess."

"Guess?" Isabella gasped. "No, please don't do that."

The chains began to rattle. "I think I know what it is. He did something to you didn't he? He doesn't mean any harm. He just has his mind in the gutter."

Isabella pouted and folded her arms. "That's one way of putting it. Deep down, you already know what he did to me."

"Rape?"

"You knew he was guilty! And you still defended him!"

The locks had shattered and the room returned to the same blank cells as before. Sometimes May preferred the darkness to the rotting walls. She shook her head at Isabella. "It's not like that Isabella. I've known him for years. I wanted to believe that he was innocent. I thought he was innocent."

"There's been at least twenty women that's come forward about him," Isabella screamed. "I was one of them. We fought for justice...AND YOU RUINED IT!"

It was futile to argue with her. May wanted to burst out with all the good memories she had with Brock. The times where they went shopping together. The times he cooked for her, did her laundry and told her his favourite romance novels. He always fell in love with every beautiful woman he saw, she didn't see it as anything bad: it was just who it is. But no matter how many people came forward and what people said, she could never see Brock as the sexual predictor that people painted him to be.

"Do you know what makes this worse, Miss Maple?"

"What's that?"

"Zach had nothing to do with any of this. He was Brock's cousin. And now he's in prison because of me. They're all in prison because of me. Just like that god damn letter I found."

"Can you tell me about that letter?"

"I don't want to talk about it."

"How am I supposed to help you if you don't tell me what's wrong?"

"The letter's history: it's burned. It has nothing to do with this."

"Then if Brock really did rape you, why did you invite him to the wedding?"

"I didn't..."

"Then did he gate-crash the wedding?"

"Something like that, he just tagged along with Zach."

"Did you tell any of your friends what Brock did to you?"

"Only Ashton and Becca. I couldn't tell Zach. He did it to Becca too …"

"Becca as in Rebecca Gales? She's your best friend, right?"

Isabella nodded. "She said he touched her a few times, but Luke and Ashton punched him in the face."

May remembered that she saw Marianne punching Brock before his murder. All the suspects had a reason to kill Brock, apart from Zach, the victims' cousin. But before she could begin defending her clients, she first had to get to the bottom of her friend's death, she had to find out what was beyond the news.

"I can tell that there's been a major cock-up: but it's not your fault, Isabella."

"But if it wasn't for…"

"No. If you were raped, then that's not your fault." It hurt. But she had to say it. "And it's not your fault he's dead either."

"Miss Maple… you're crying?"

"I guess your tears are contagious."

May didn't even need to ask questions. Isabella started rambling away about the mansion she sold to the Luke Wright and Hannah Evans when they were married, her father's death, the relationship with Ashton and their wedding.

"And Zach was constantly coming backwards and forwards because my wedding and his cousin's wedding were on the same day. He was the best man for our wedding and he was doing photography for us and across the block for his cousin's wedding too."

"Do you know how close Zach was to Brock?" May asked. She knew Brock came from a big family, and he talked about his siblings a lot, but never mentioned his cousins at all.

"They got on okay, but he wasn't as close to him as he was with us."

It was as May expected. Her phone went off. "Sorry, is it okay if I answer this?" May picked up her phone as Isabella nodded. "Hello!"

"THANK FUCKING GOD!"

"Luke…there's no need to shout."

"Listen to me," Luke snarled through the phone. "You have to help me. You have to help us all. The police have Hannah, Mint and Daisy!"

"Mint and Daisy?"

"You know, Hannah's girlfriend, the one you met at the trial the other day! And Daisy, my little daisy…Rebecca Gales. This is all one huge mess. And if any one of us is guilty it's fucking feathers over there."

May assumed she was referring to Ashton. She also figured out it was his voice she could also hear cursing at Luke. Another was calming him down. It seemed too soft to be a police officer so it had to be Zach.

"All of you calm down!" May demanded. "Look, I will get you all out of this mess. I promise you. I'm with Isabella at the moment. And I'll be having a one to one with all of you before the trial begins."

"Please make sure my children are alright. And check on my little Kylie too."

"I will."

"Thank you! You know I could bloody kiss you right now."

"That won't be necessary," May said, "save that for your girlfriend."


	6. Sinister Discovery

Kanto mourned for Brock's death. They seemed to be the only part of the world that seemed to believe his innocence. May knew that he was like, but to her, Brock was still a friend. So when she checked her social media accounts this morning, she squeezed her phone and resisted the temptation to slam it across the street.

Tumblr, most particularly the _Social Justice Warriors_ were celebrating his death. Others found it a poignant tribute to the _#metoo_ movement. She gasped and dropped her phone at one post on twitter. She picked up. Luckily, the phone only got a small scratch.

 _DING DONG THE WICKED DICK IS DEAD!_

It had two thousand retweets and almost twenty-thousand likes. One tweet by a Colorado student, Eric Cartmen triggered her harder than it should have done.

 _I hope Brock enjoys anal from Satan_

The tweet was liked and retweeted over a million times. May had Beautifly by her side on the way to the crime scene – the old car park where she caught Brock sexually harassing Hannah Evans. Trucy and Gumshoe were waiting for them. Gumshoe put his empty coffee cup in the bin behind him and scratched his ears.

"Hey May!" Trucy appeared as optimistic as ever. Her smile alone could lighten the darkest nights. She was sure that Trucy was some kind of angel.

"Morning, Trucy. What have you found out?"

"We're in a pickle," Gumshoe admitted. "The victim's phone is full of porn and we've got seven suspects, and any one of them could have done it. They've all got motives."

"What makes you so sure about that?" May asked. Just because they had motives, doesn't mean that they did it. "And if there is a lot of porn on his phone, then maybe the women in the pictures could be possible suspects."

Gumshoe shook his head. "It's gotta be one of them."

"What motives do you have for them?" May asked.

"Let's start with the Freys. Isabella Frey claims to have been raped by the victim. She could be out for revenge and her husband could help her. Zachary Steele is the victim's cousin and a friend of Mr and Mrs Frey. He's closer to his friends. He'd want to defend them. Rebecca Gales is a friend of Isabella and dating Luke Wright. She's also pretty smart and an ideal accomplice. As for Marianne McCollough, Hannah Evans and Luke Wright, well we've got CCTV footage of them minutes before Brock was murdered. The other four could have been around the carpark while they left.

I don't think I need to tell you this, but you're gonna more than pure instinct and luck to win this."

"So why are you telling me this?"

"I can tell you've been trained by the Phoenix Wright. Always believing in your clients till the end." He placed his hand on her shoulder. "I know the victim was a close friend of yours as well. You got a lot on your plate right now. If you need help with the kids, I'm sure my missus can help you out. Copper could do with some friends."

"That's a very kind offer," May said with a short-lived smile. "But my parents are looking after them, and Trucy's going to babysit later. But I'll keep it in mind." She shivered. "Anyway, let's get back to the case. What else can you tell me about the case?"

"Even though his body was found outside his gym, the murder took place here."

"But how did the killer move the body?" Trucy asked looking at the yellow tape around the car park.

"That's why we think this is a joint effort," Gumshoe replied. "Luke Wright has a lot of connections to the mafia and legal troubles were the reason for the closure of The Wright Enterprises. Ashton Frey has the same job as me, so he'd have access to a body bag."

"But why leave his body outside his gym?"

Gumshoe shrugged his shoulders. "Who knows what they were thinking? Panic? Maybe an artistic statement. Some of the defendants are talented in the arts."

"Talented in the arts?" May raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean by that?"

"Santos is an artist and she sings. Steele's a photographer. Gales is a teacher, but her books are bestsellers. McCollough's a famous interior designer, an archaeologist and quite a gifted singer. Seen her in some of the karaoke bars at night."

"Come to think of it," Trucy said. "I think I might have seen Isabella and her friends going in the karaoke bars."

"So what's the cause of death?" May asked. She thought, enough about the clients and on about the murder.

"Shot in the heart."

The first thing that came to May's head was the Bon Jovi song. _Shot in the heart, and you're too late. You give love a bad name._ And Brock did give love a bad name. Did he deserve to be brutally murdered? May still said no to herself.

May and Trucy had a look around the crime scene, where they were permitted to. They couldn't see anything that stood out. Not even a little clue towards the truth. May tried to open her eyes wider before looking up at Beautifly. "Beautifly have a look around the roof."

Beautifly flew towards the roof. A CCTV camera.

"What's she found?"

"She's found a CCTV Camera." May waved her arm at Gumshoe. "Gumshoe! Look at this?"

"Ah!" Gumshoe roared. "Why is it smeared in blood? This wasn't here yesterday!"

"You mean this was clean before?" May asked.

"Maybe CCTV footage can capture who did it."

They all looked closer to the camera. The forensic team dashed over and brought their torches. HELP ME was written on the side of the camera.

"It's like in that mansion!" Trucy gasped.

"What mansion?" May asked.

"The Ermengarde Mansion, remember. It's the one thing that connects the seven defendants together."

"But the mansion no longer exists."

"We might still be able to see something on the ruins. Come on, we need to get there."

Trucy whipped a pokéball out of her pocket. "Come on out, Thalassa!"

"Thanks Gumshoe," May said to the detective. "Let me know when something comes up."

"Will do!"

Beyond the trees lied the final resting place of the Ermengarde Mansion. Nothing but ashes brushed away from the wind on top of rotten woods and materials. The area was peaceful and beautiful, but there was something eerie about the place. It was windy, but there was no feeling of hot or cold.

The ruins became a paradise for the ghost and bug pokémon. Weird to think that centuries ago it used to hold extravagant parties with some of the most important people in Luxbourne.

May saw the figure of a woman in the middle. She appeared to be a young maid with luscious black hair down to her waist. She waved and smiled.

"There's someone there!"

"I don't see anyone, May."

"She's gone." May scratched her back. Maybe I'm imagining things."

Trucy sighed. "Sorry May, I really thought coming to the mansion would give us a clue. Any evidence we could get from this mansion is long since gone."

"It's okay," May said. "It's been nice to get away. Let's go to Starbucks!"

 _"Brock, tell me who did this to you."_

 _"Look in the mirror and you'll find out."_

 _"I can't see anything special. Wait! What's that? It's the ghost from earlier! Hello? She's vanished."_


End file.
